These standards govern how we report, edit, and publish. They are reviewed annually by the Reader's Editor and approved by the Editor-in-Chief.
#Our mission
To inform readers accurately, fairly, and independently — without fear or favour. We serve the public interest, not advertisers, owners, or political alignments.
#Accuracy first
- Every factual claim is verified by at least one independent source before publication.
- We name our sources unless anonymity is justified (see Source Protection).
- Material errors are corrected promptly. See Corrections & Clarifications.
- We do not publish unverified rumours, leaked content of unclear provenance, or AI-generated text presented as reporting.
#Sourcing + verification
- Two-source rule for sensitive claims. Single-source stories require explicit Editor-in-Chief sign-off and disclosure to the reader.
- Documents are authenticated before publication. Images and video are reverse-image-searched + cross-checked against original sources.
- Quotes are recorded and verbatim unless edited for clarity (with editor noted).
#Editorial independence
- Editorial decisions are made independently of commercial, political, or ownership pressure.
- Advertorials are clearly labelled as "Promoted" or "Sponsored content".
- Conflicts of interest are disclosed (see Conflicts of Interest).
#Fairness + right of reply
- Subjects of critical reporting are given a real opportunity to respond before publication.
- Right-of-reply requests post-publication are evaluated by the Reader's Editor (see complaints process).
